


kotatsu.

by nightmareballet



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Like Exclusively Fluff, also post-rebellion, like. so much fluff bro, the happiness they deserve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:34:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25060231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightmareballet/pseuds/nightmareballet
Summary: Homura reflects on the snippets of happiness she's found in life with Madoka post-rebellion.
Relationships: Akemi Homura/Kaname Madoka
Comments: 3
Kudos: 37





	kotatsu.

**Author's Note:**

> HELLO this was simply the content i wanted to see. went where the fluffy wind took me. no thoughts, only gay yearning and happiness.
> 
> (i'm just dropping hints that i want a kotatsu to kiss my girlfriend under on a cold winter's day)

The soft snow crunched ever so faintly under Homura’s boots, the unforgiving winter air biting at her cheeks. She made this walk often; roughly thirty minutes on foot from the station - just enough time to overthink the day’s activities. It was well into November now, the tree leaves long since fallen, winter bathing everything in a thick sheet of bright, beautiful white. A sharp breeze caused her to sink her face deeper into her scarf, right up to her nose, her warm breaths offering little comfort against the bitter cold.

But today was going to be anything but bitter, she thought to herself, clutching at the scarf around her neck - a gift she’d received just two months prior. Homura’s cheeks flushed at the memory of Madoka, with shaking hands, handing her a slim, pastel box tied with a dainty red ribbon. Though at a loss for words as she’d slowly unwrapped it, in that single moment she’d been so happy it had almost brought her to tears.

How long had it been since things had settled once and for all…? Walpurgisnacht seemed like a distant nightmare. She had lost track of the time, something Homura had once accepted as an impossibility. Her brows furrowed as she sank into her thoughts, recalling the debilitating loneliness she’d endured during that seemingly never-ending Spring, trapped in a maze of her own creation. Rounding the street corner she buried her hands deeper into her coat pockets, her breath a cloud of white mist that engulfed her face as she sighed.

As if to interrupt her, a small voice called out. One that, despite everything, she could never tire of hearing. Her favourite sound.

“Homura-chan!”

Madoka stood further down the street, waving excitedly, dressed only in her pajamas and a thin coat draped carelessly over her shoulders. A soft smile pricked at Homura’s cheeks as she hurried to close the distance between them.

“M-Madoka, you’ll freeze!” she exclaimed as she wrapped Madoka in her scarf.

Madoka let out a guilty-sounding giggle in response, burying her face in the other’s neck. Homura felt her smile there, cherishing the soft hum of Madoka’s laughter against her skin. All of Homura’s gloomy thoughts disappeared in an instant as she held her close, unable to see anything for facefuls of the other girl’s fluffy pink hair. Just as she was wishing for that moment to last for eternity, she felt Madoka shiver.

“Let’s get you back inside. You’ll catch cold.”

* * *

Stepping into the house felt like being wrapped in a big, warm blanket.

Madoka took their coats and ushered to the kotatsu in the centre of the living room before disappearing out of view to hang them up. Two mugs filled with hot cocoa sat on the tabletop, one of which Homura promptly took, causing her to wince at the sudden heat on her cold fingers. She tucked her legs underneath the kotatsu, briefly sighing in comfort. Letting her thumb trace over the ceramic, Homura admired the purple pattern that matched Madoka’s own baby pink mug design. She closed her eyes, remembering their trip to the mall last month where they’d gone to pick them out together.

Her brief daydream was quickly interrupted by the other girl hurriedly sitting down beside her, shuffling her legs under the fabric as quickly as possible, still shivering a little. She relaxed, leaning her head on Homura’s shoulder, eliciting a rosy blush from her partner.

Homura often wondered how Madoka could make her feel like time was standing still, in a completely different way than she’d ever experienced in a literal sense during her time as a magical girl.

Knowing she could trap a moment if she wished...though it wasn’t quite the same.

Their eyes met, and as they did, Homura thought about how hard she’d fought for simple moments like these; to have Madoka by her side, to share a mug of cocoa together on a winter afternoon, under the kotatsu.

She felt tears prick at the backs of her eyes as a wave of relief washed over her, as it had many times these past few months - looking into Madoka’s eyes, she pretended not to see the faint glints of gold in them.

She leaned in as Madoka cupped her face, her fingers still a little chilly from the winter air and locks of silky black hair falling onto the other’s cheeks, she let the moment consume her.

Pulling away, Madoka smiled her usual warm smile.

“Welcome home, Homura-chan.”


End file.
